Journalism of Courage
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he had spoken with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed that India would stop buying Russian oil. He warned that if New Delhi did not comply, tariffs on Indian goods would remain “massive.”
“I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, according to Reuters. When asked about India’s statement denying any such conversation, Trump replied, “But if they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.”
Russian oil purchases have been a key point of tension in trade talks between Washington and New Delhi. Approximately half of the 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods are reportedly in response to India’s continued imports of Russian crude, according to US officials.
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The Trump administration has said revenue from Russian petroleum helps fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
India has become the largest buyer of seaborne Russian oil, benefiting from discounted prices after Western sanctions. The Indian government has maintained that protecting the interests of consumers is its main priority.
India’s foreign ministry said it was not aware of any telephone conversation with Trump on the day he claimed to have spoken with Modi.
A White House official said India had halved its Russian oil purchases. However, Indian sources told Reuters that no immediate reduction had been observed. Indian refiners had already placed orders for November shipments, with some scheduled to arrive in December, meaning any cut in imports might only be reflected in December or January data, as reported by Reuters.
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Estimates from commodities data firm Kpler suggest India’s Russian oil imports are set to rise about 20 per cent this month to 1.9 million barrels per day, as Russia ramps up exports following Ukrainian drone strikes on its refineries.
(With inputs from agencies)
